April 18, 1942
(11th AF) "Doolittle Raid" B-25 Mitchell bombers led by Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle take off from USS Horney (CV-8) on a bombing raid against targets in Tokyo Kobe, Yokohama,
and Nagoya.
November 24, 1944
(20th AF) The XXI Bomber Command flies its first mission
against Japan; the objective is Tokyo; the 111 B-29s are led by 73d Bombardment
Wing (Very Heavy) Commanding General, Brigadier General Emmett O'Donnell Jr
piloting B-29 "Dauntless Dotty" with co-pilot Major Robert K Morgan (formerly, pilot
of B-17F "Memphis Belle" over Europe); 35 B-29s bomb the primary target, the Musashino
aircraft plant; 50 bomb the secondary target, the urban area and docks; 17
abort enroute; the remainder are unable to bomb due to mechanical difficulties;
1 B-29 crashes off Honshū when a fighter rams the bomber, shearing off
the elevator and right horizontal stabilizer, becoming the first XXI Bomber
Command B-29 lost to Japanese action; 1 other ditches after running out of
fuel; B-29 gunners claim 7 aircraft downed.
November 27, 1944
(20th AF) 81 Mariana based B-29s fly against Tokyo;
none of the B-29s bomb the primary targets, the Musashino and Nakajima plants,
but 59 hit the secondary, the urban area and docks.
November 29, 1944
(20th AF) During the night of 29/30 November, 24 Mariana based B-29s strike the Tokyo dock and industrial area.
December 3, 1944
(20th AF)
Mission 10: 86 Mariana based B-29s are dispatched to attack the Musashino aircraft plant and docks and urban areas in Tokyo; 60 B-29s hit the primary target and 15 hit alternate targets; they claim 10-11-18 Japanese aircraft; 5 B-29s are lost including: B-29 "Rosalia Rocket" 42-24656 (MIA / POW).
December 27, 1944
(20th AF) Mission 16: 72 B-29s from the Marianas bomb Nakajima and Musashino aircraft plants in Tokyo; 39 hit the primary targets and 13 attack alternates and targets of opportunity; enemy fighters are active, flying 250+ individual attacks on the B-29s; B-29s claim 21-10-7 fighters; 3 B-29s are lost, 1 to fighters and 2 to mechanical difficulties.
January 9, 1945
(20th AF) Mission 18: 72 Mariana based B-29s are dispatched against the Musashino aircraft plant near Tokyo; high winds break up the formations so that only 18 B-29s can bomb the primary target; 34 hit alternates and targets of opportunity; they claim 13-3-11 Japanese aircraft; 6 B-29s are lost.
January 19, 1945
(20th AF) Mission 20: 80 B-29s are dispatched to hit the
Kawasaki aircraft plant at Akashi, outside Tokyo; 62 hit the primary
target and 9 others bomb alternates and targets of opportunity; they claim
4-4-8 Japanese aircraft.
January 27, 1945
(20th AF) Mission 24 (Enkindle #3): 76 B-29s of the 73d Bombardment Wing
(Very Heavy) are dispatched from the Mariana against the Musashiho and Nakajima
aircraft plants near Tokyo; clouds and high winds over the target area prevent
bombing of the primary; 56 B-29s bomb the secondary target, the Tokyo urban
area, and 6 others attack alternates and targets of opportunity; fighter opposition
is the heaviest to date and 5 B-29s are downed; 4 others ditch or crashland;
B-29 gunners claim 60-17-39 Japanese aircraft, the highest claim to date.
February 15, 1945
(USN) The first carrier plane strikes take place on Tokyo.
February 16, 1945
(USN) Task Group 58.2 (TG 58.2) under the command of Admiral Mitscher operates off Japan with nine heavy
and five light carriers in four groups, and two heavy carriers in a night
group hit airfields in the Tokyo area to minimize opposition to the American landing on Iwo Jima.
February 17, 1945
(USN) Task Group 58.2 (TG 58.2) under the command of Admiral Mitscher operates off Japan with nine heavy
and five light carriers in four groups, and two heavy carriers in a night
group hit airfields in the Tokyo area to minimize opposition to the American landing on Iwo Jima.
February 19, 1945
(20th AF) Mission 37: 150 B-29s are dispatched to hit the Musashino aircraft plant in Tokyo hoping to draw air reinforcements away from the Iwo Jima invasion;
thick clouds completely cover the primary target so 119 bomb the port and urban area of Tokyo; 12 others hit targets of last resort and targets of opportunity; they claim 39-16-37 Japanese aircraft; 6 B-29s are lost including B-29 "Super Wabbit" 42-65222.
February 25, 1945
(20th AF) Mission 38: 172 of 229 B-29s carry out a heavy
raid on Tokyo and bomb the urban area of Tokyo; 29 others hit alternates and
targets of opportunity; this is the XXI Bomber Command's largest mission to
date and its first three wing strike against Japan.
March 4, 1945
(20th AF) 192 Marianas based B-29s are airborne
against Musashino aircraft factory (Musashi) near Tokyo, but heavy clouds
prevent bombing the primary; 159 B-29s bomb the secondary target, the urban
areas of Tokyo, and 18 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost. This aborted
try at Musashino marks the end of XXI Bomber Command's effort to knock out
the Japanese aircraft industry by high altitude, daylight precision bombing.
March 10, 1945
(20th AF) Mission 40: During the predawn hours, 279 B-29s, of 325 airborne, bomb Tokyo urban area with incendiaries, destroying 267,171 buildings, about one-fourth in the city, killing 83,793 and wounding 40,918 people and destroying 15.8 square miles; this death total is the highest of any single day's action during the war, exceeding the deaths caused by the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
April 2, 1945
(20th AF) Mission 51: 115 of 121 B-29s
bomb the Nakajima aircraft factory at Tokyo; they claim 1-1-0 Japanese aircraft;
6 B-29s are lost.
April 3, 1945
(20th AF) Mission 56: 18 B-29s hit the urban areas in Tokyo as a target of opportunity; they claim 1-0-0 Japanese aircraft.
April 7, 1945
(7th AF) VII Fighter Command: Mission 1: 91 of 108 P-51s
escort B-29s to Tokyo; they claim 21-5-7 Japanese aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost.
April 12, 1945
(20th AF) Mission 63: 94 B-29s,
escorted by 90 P-51s, strike the Nakajima aircraft factory at Tokyo while 11
hit the secondary target, the Shizuoka engine plant; B-29s gunners claim 16
fighters downed.
April 13, 1945
(20th AF) Mission 67: During the night of 13/14 Apr, 327
B-29s bomb the Tokyo arsenal area; three others hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-29s
are lost.
April 15, 1945
(20th AF) Mission 69: 109 B-29s hit the urban area
of Tokyo. Lost is B-29A 42-93893 (MIA, one POW).
May 5, 1945
(20th AF) During the night of 5/6 May, 86 B-29s drop mines
in Tokyo Bay, Ise Bay, and at points in the Inland Sea; 4 others mine targets
of opportunity.
May 23, 1945
(20th AF) Mission 181: During the night of 23/24 May, 520
out of 562 B-29s sent against Tokyo bomb an urban-industrial area south of the
Imperial
Palace along the west side of Tokyo Harbor; 5 others hit targets of opportunity;
17 B-29s are lost; this is the largest number of B-29s participating in a
single
mission during WWII.
May 25, 1945
(20th AF) During the night of 25/26 May, 464
B-29's pound the urban area of Tokyo immediately south of the Imperial Palace just
north of that bombed on 23/24 May, including financial, commercial, and governmental
districts as well as factories and homes; 6 others bomb targets of opportunity;
they claim 19 Japanese fighters; 26 B-29s are lost on this mission, the highest
single day loss of B-29s in World War II.
July 4, 1945
(7th AF) 159 P-51D Mustangs from Iwo Jima attack the Yokosuka Airfield and airfields in the Tokyo area (Imba, Tsukuba, and Kasumigaura); they
claim 9-25 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost.
July 5, 1945
(7th AF) 100 P-51s from Iwo Jima, strike airfields
in the Tokyo area (Ibaraki, Yatabe, Yawatasaki Cape, and Maruta); they claim
5-11 aircraft on the ground.
July 6, 1945
(7th AF) 110 P-51Ds from Iwo Jima attack airfields in the Tokyo area (Kumagaya, Yamagata, and Chiba); they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 6-25 on the ground;
1 P-51 is lost.
July 10, 1945
(USN) US Navy carrier aircraft attack airfields in the Tokyo area.
July 17, 1945
(USN) US Navy carrier aircraft attack targets in Tokyo.
July 28, 1945
(7th AF) 140+ P-51s, based on Iwo Jima, hit 9
objectives (airfields and military targets) in a wide area around Tokyo and
attack a destroyer escort along the Chiba Peninsula, leaving it burning.
August 3, 1945
(7th AF) P-51D Mustangs from Iwo Jima fly nearly 100 effective sorties
throughout the Tokyo area, hitting airfields, rail installations, and trains.
August 6, 1945
(7th AF) Almost
100 P-51Ds from Iwo Jima attack airfields and military installations at six locations around Tokyo
August 8, 1945
(20th AF) 60 B-29s bomb an aircraft plant
and arsenal complex at Tokyo; 2 others hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost
to flak and 1 to mechanical reasons (these are the last B-29s lost in action
by the Twentieth AF).
August 10, 1945
(20th AF) The Japanese radio announces the Japanese desire for
peace and USASTAF limits operations to precision mission. 104 B-29s fly two missions
against Japan without loss. Mission 323: During the day, 70 B-29s, escorted
by 2 groups of P-51s bomb the arsenal complex at Tokyo; 3 others hit alternate
targets.
August 13, 1945
(USN) US Navy carrier aircraft conduct a fighter sweep and bombing mission over Tokyo. Over Tateyama, intercepted by A6M5 Zeros from the 302 Kokutai led by Lt. Yutaka Morioka. Shot down are TBM Avenger 69066 (crew rescued), F6F Hellcat 79496 (MIA), F6F Hellcat 77830 (MIA) and F6F Hellcat 78006 (rescued). While attempting to rescue the Hellcat crew, OA-10 Catalina 44-34080 is shot down and crashes, killing the crew and leaving only one survivor who is captured.
August 15, 1945
(USN) At 0635, Admiral Halsey sent a message
to his forces announcing the end of hostilities and ordering the cessation
of offensive air operations, the first carrier strike of the day had already
hit Tokyo and the second was approaching the coastline as it was recalled.
August 17, 1945
(FEAF) A formation of B-32 Dominators on a photographic mission over Tokyo is intercepted by Japanese fighters, damaging B-32 42-108539.
August 27, 1945
(USN) US Navy and Allied warships anchor in Tokyo Bay.
September 2, 1945
(USN) Hostilities with Japan end officially with the signing of the instrument of
surrender aboard the USS Missouri (BB-63) in Tokyo Bay. 462 B-29 Superfortresses
fly over the fleet anchored in Tokyo Bay during the ceremonial surrender of Japan marking Victory Japan Day (V-J Day) and the end of World War II.
